Late 19th

century and

20th centuries

Snapshot

Latin America

& Mexico

(after

independence)

Cultural & Social Continuities

• Roman Catholicism as a belief system

– Influences politics

• Importance of the family and strong

patriarchy

• Large gap between upper classes and lower

classes.

• Native beliefs and identity

Cultural and Social Changes

• Liberation Theology - Roman Catholic non-

violent activists working to end social

inequality and unjust treatment of the poor

• Protestant Evangelical Christianity has

grown.

• Globalization – has led to changes in culture,

gender roles, and youth

Political Changes New Nation States in the

19th century:

Political Continuities• Importance of the military

– Military leadership took control

to end chaos or solve problems

others couldn’t solve.

• Caudillo Political Leadership

– Military leaders who rose to

power

– Many became dictators

Political Changes• Revolutionary groups have challenged political

power

– Socialist/Communist groups

– Native groups

– Terrorist Groups

• Laborers have supported changes in leadership.

• Mexican Revolution of the early 1900s led to

nationalization of resources and industry

• Cuban Revolution – Fidel Castro led communist

revolution in Cuba

Continuity in Latin America – US involvement

Economic ContinuitiesDependency on the West

• Plantation then estate

agriculture for export was

a base of the economies.

• Western markets

determined Latin

American exports.

• Latin America was

dependent on Western

investment and

manufactured goods.

• Limited industrialization.

Economic Changes

• Mining and early oil

industry began

• Extension of road,

rail, and canal

networks

Change - Effects of the Great

Depression on Latin America

• Foreign

investments and

purchases declined

• The liberals were

discredited and so

was Western

capitalism

• Violent coups in 12

countries.

Change-Effects of World Wars on Latin America

• Import substitution

industrialization – growth

in industry in Latin

America to manufacture

what had been imported

• Distrust of Western ideas

of government and

economy. Growth of . . .

– Socialism/communism

– Liberation theology

Economic Changes

• Drug trafficking had

both political and

economic effects in

regions of Latin

America.

Central America Drug

Trafficking routes